The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for electronically managing information.
It is common in business transactions involving multiple parties for the parties to share documents generated in the transaction. Typically, one or more parties make hard copies of various documents, distribute them as needed and revise documents as the transaction proceeds. Accordingly, it may be difficult at any given time to identify the currently valid document or for any two remote parties to be sure that their respective copies of a given document are the same.
Document imaging, storage and management systems are known. Generally, however, these systems are internal to a given party and do not provide document access to other parties. Furthermore, it is also known for a business entity to establish an extranet by which its clients and customers can access information placed on the extranet by the party. Generally, however, these systems are controlled entirely by the host party. The external parties cannot add documentation, and they cannot be sure of the consistency of the documents they review on the extranet over time.